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Water System Capacity
Questions and Answers
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What is water system capacity?
The Washington State Department of Health Office of Drinking Water
(ODW) defines water system capacity as the system's technical,
managerial and financial capability to achieve and maintain compliance
with all relevant local, state and federal plans and regulations.
The three categories of water system capacity are:
- Technical: Water system personnel can adequately
operate and maintain a water system, and the water system is
well designed and constructed.
- Managerial: The water system manager is able to
conduct necessary activities such as staffing, planning,
decision making, maintaining accountability and interacting
with customers and regulatory agencies.
- Financial: The water system generates enough
revenue and manages funds through budgeting, accounting, and
other fiscal control methods.
What is the Office of Drinking Water’s capacity strategy?
We require new water systems to show all three elements of
water system capacity in their water system plan or small water
system management program. Our strategy for existing water
systems relies on their compliance with state and federal rules.
When a water system does not meet the capacity requirements, we
offer technical assistance. We focus our enforcement resources
on water systems that present a high public health risk.
What are the benefits for water systems that attain capacity?
- They are better able to provide safe and reliable drinking
water and comply with state and federal drinking water rules.
- They can provide service to their existing customers and serve
new customers in the future.
- They can request funds from the Drinking Water State Revolving
Fund.
What does a water system with capacity look like?
- It does not have a red operating permit.
- It has a water system plan or a small water system management
program in place.
- It meets the certified water works operator requirements.
- It operates within the approved number of connections.
- It receives no formal compliance actions from ODW
How can a water system achieve capacity?
Attend Relevant Training - Proper training is
important to achieve and maintain capacity.
Click here for
links to training.
Apply for Capital Improvement Funding - The
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund provides low interest
loans to community and nonprofit non-community water systems
for capital improvements.
Click here for
more program information.
Visit the Office of Drinking Water Web site
For the latest information on drinking water programs and
services, such as those below,
visit the ODW homepage.
- Monitoring and compliance.
- New and existing drinking water rules.
- Management practices.
- New treatment technologies.
- Available funding sources.
- Sanitary surveys, cross-connection control, operator
certification and wellhead protection.
Read all about it
Get copies of ODW publications about capacity and other
topics by calling (800) 521-0323 or using our
online publications site.
- Funding for Drinking Water Capital Improvement Projects
(DOH PUB #331-344)
- Water System Capacity Development Strategy for Existing
Water Systems (DOH PUB #331-277)
- Water System Capacity Development Program:
Demonstration, Implementation and Evaluation of Authorities
to Ensure New System Capacity (DOH PUB #331-278)
Use our listserv to get e-mail copies of new and revised
publications.
Click to sign up.
Seek Technical Assistance
Call your ODW regional office at the number listed below. We
can:
- Explain the requirements of state and federal
regulations.
- Identify appropriate follow up action, such as taking
repeat samples, flushing a distribution system, doing public
notification and disinfecting a water system.
- Discuss loans and grants to help improve your water
system.
- Explain options such as merging with another water
system, interties, and restructuring.
Eastern Region – Spokane (509) 456-3115
Northwest Region – Kent (253) 395-6750
Southwest Region – Tumwater (360) 236-3030
Get information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA)
EPA offers capacity information online at
http://www.epa.gov/safewater/smallsys.html
DOH Pub #331-283
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Water System Capacity Development Strategy for Existing Water Systems
(PDF, 147 KB)
Water System Capacity Development Program - Demonstration, Implementation
and Evaluation of Authorities to Ensure New System Capacity (PDF, 96
KB)
Water Rates
FAQ
(PDF, 69
KB)
Financial Viability for
Small Water Systems
(PDF, 78
KB)
Asset Management for Small
Water Systems
(PDF, 703
KB)
EPA Step Guides:
Strategic Planning: A Handbook for Small Water Systems
Asset Management: A Handbook for Small Water Systems
Taking Stock of Your Water System: A simple Asset Inventory for Very
Small Drinking Water Systems
Setting Small Drinking Water System Rates for a Sustainable Future
Reports:
2009 Report to the Legislature
on Small Public Drinking Water Systems
2008 Report to the Governor on Washington’s Capacity Development Program
Related Programs:
Small Water System Management
Program
Drinking Water State Revolving
Fund
Operator Certification
Sanitary Surveys
Cross-Connection Control
Drinking Water Rule
Publications
More publications are available through
our
on-line publication catalog
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